2023 has been a fun operating year for ARRL’s Year of the Volunteers with the Volunteers On the Air (VOTA) event. To help members boost their VOTA point totals, ARRL is hosting a Red Badges on the Air activity on December 17, 2023, from 1500 - 2100 UTC. The objective of the event is to provide an opportunity for VOTA participants to work more ARRL officers and elected officials, such as Directors or Section Managers and Headquarters staff members and volunteers, who offer higher point values in the yearlong event.

ARRL Contest Branch Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ, explained, “The badges they wear at hamfests, conventions, and other formal occasions are red, hence the term Red Badges on the Air. ARRL red badges are worth a lot of points — as much as 300 points per contact for working ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR — so participants can quickly increase their VOTA points tally.

Jahnke stressed that the event is “an activity day, not a contest”; there’s no required amount of operating time. Participants can call “CQ VOTA” on phone or “CQV” on CW or digital modes. While the event is focused on encouraging those with ARRL red badges to hand out VOTA points, all activity is welcome, regardless of point value (every ARRL member is worth at least one point in the operating event). Participants get credit for each band or mode contact, regardless of point value. ARRL VOTA participants can use the leaderboard to determine how many points they’ve accumulated.

Other high-point contacts include: President Emeritus or past President, 275 points; Honorary Vice President or ARRL Vice President, 250 points; Director, Director Emeritus, or past Vice President, 225 points; Vice Director, 200 points; Section Manager, 175 points; ARRL Officer or past Director, 150 points; past Vice Director, 125 points, and Charter Life Member or past Section Manager, 100 points.

ARRL Headquarters department managers are worth 75 points, ARRL Headquarters staff and volunteers are worth 50 points, and Assistant Directors are worth 40 points

The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) has released the 2024 - 2028 Extra-Class FCC Element 4 Question Pool and Syllabus to the public. The new Extra-Class Question Pool is effective from July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2028

The 2024 - 2028 pool is available as a Microsoft Word document and as a PDF. The 10 graphics required for the new Extra-Class Question Pool are available within the documents or separately in PDF and JPG file formats.

ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, and member of the NCVEC QPC, said, “The new pool incorporates significant changes compared to the 2020 - 2024 version. We carefully went over the pool for technical accuracy, relevancy to today’s amateur radio practices, syntax, grammar, style, format, and clarity and redundancy within and between the pools. With these goals in mind, 82 new questions were created, and 101 questions were eliminated, resulting in a reduction [of] the number of questions from 622 to 603. Over 350 questions were modified. We considered a question modified when the knowledge being tested was not changed but wording was improved, or answers or distractors were replaced.”

Somma advised that "the newly revised pool must be used for Extra-class license exams starting July 1, 2024. New test designs will be available to ARRL Volunteer Examiners (VEs) on that date. The ARRL VEC will supply its officially appointed, field-stocked VE teams with new Extra-class exam booklet designs around mid-June."

SAN DIEGO, California and NEWINGTON, Connecticut – Today, Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) and The ARRL Foundation announced a three-year commitment with over $2.1 million in combined funding to support scholarships for radio amateurs, radio technology for classroom teachers, and amateur radio club grants. This commitment reinforces a strong shared vision between ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® and ARDC to invest in the future of amateur radio through programs supporting the next generation of radio amateurs.

“ARRL and ARDC share a common vision for the future of Amateur Radio,” says The ARRL Foundation President David Norris, K5UZ. “The Foundation exists to support the next generation of radio amateurs, and we are so proud to collaborate with ARDC to make these programs possible.”

The ARDC Scholarship at The ARRL Foundation has supported nearly 100 amateur radio operators in pursuit of their educational goals since its inception in 2020. The renewed commitment will result in over 200 total scholarships, awarded over the next three years, for radio amateurs pursuing higher education, with scholarships ranging from $5,000 to $25,000. This competitive scholarship program is run through The ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program, and recipients who demonstrate academic excellence and financial need can use this funding for tuition, room & board, books, and other fees essential to advance their education. More information on eligibility and application deadlines may be found online at The ARRL Foundation website at www.arrl.org/scholarship-program.

The ARRL Club Grants program was introduced in 2022 with initial funding from ARDC. Thanks to this next round of collaboration, the ARRL Club Grants Program will continue in 2024. Beginning with significant funding from ARDC in 2022, the ARRL Club Grants program is administered by The ARRL Foundation, together with the ARRL Field Organization. These club grants are critical to the future of amateur radio because of the importance of mentoring and helping licensees become active in Amateur Radio. ARRL encourages clubs to revitalize this critical aspect of their role by applying for funding to support programs in one of the available categories, including ham skills development, STEAM learning and education, or club station improvement, among others. This transformational program will launch in the Spring of 2024. More details will be provided through upcoming informational sessions and on The ARRL Foundation website at www.arrl.org/club-grant-program.

Additional funding from ARDC will extend the effectiveness of ARRL outreach programs to teachers and schools, including the ARRL Teachers Institute for Wireless Technology. Monies will be used to purchase equipment to allow students to get hands-on STEM experiences through radio communications and radio technology.

ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, is inspired by the opportunities this collaboration presents. “These grants are a great exercise in teamwork and shared vision between our organizations; ARDC has resources to enable significant advancements in amateur radio, and ARRL brings the strength and reach needed to implement these great programs,” he said.

“On behalf of ARRL and The ARRL Foundation, I want to express my sincere thanks for the strong vision and generosity of ARDC,” says ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL, “Through its philanthropy, ARDC is supporting transformational programs, which will have a significant impact on amateur radio’s future.”

ARDC Executive Director Rosy Schechter, KJ7RYV, adds: “It’s a joy and an honor to enable amateur radio clubs across the country to flourish, and we’re grateful to work with the ARRL to make it happen. We loved seeing the projects from the first round of funding and look forward to seeing what comes next.”

“Clubs are the heart and soul of amateur radio, and outreach is core to ARDC's and ARRL's shared vision," says ARDC Board Member Ria Jairam, N2RJ. " We are proud to support amateur radio clubs and their projects through these transformational grants.”

The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) has removed two General-class license questions. 

Pursuant to the November 13, 2023, FCC rule change to remove symbol rate restrictions on amateur radio digital emissions (http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-hails-fcc-action-to-remove-symbol-rate-restrictions), the QPC of the NCVEC has deleted two questions from the General-class question pool because they are no longer correct. General-class questions G1C08 and G1C10 are withdrawn from the pool effective immediately and should be removed from examinations as soon as possible. Updated question pool files, including the errata and new information, have been posted on the NCVEC General-class question pool web page at http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=369. 

The current Element 3 General question pool became effective on July 1, 2023, and it is valid through June 30, 2027. The ARRL VEC advises the community to regularly check the NCVEC website at http://www.ncvec.org/ for updates to the question pools, which may include errata and withdrawn questions.

The Tehachapi Amateur Radio Association specializes in Ham Radio operation, a technology that is reliable even during disaster situations

When 10 meters is open, amazing things can happen. Lu Romero, W4LT, knows that well. He said, “When 10 is open, I often venture up into the top of the band to see if there is any FM activity. I’ve always liked to use 10 FM, especially when conditions are marginal to observe the Faraday phase distortion on signals. Before FT8, 10 FM was always a good way to discover where the band was propagating to in addition to the beacons. If you hear FM (especially repeaters) operating, then the propagation is really good!”

At around 1500z on October 23, 2023, the band was open. Romero stated that he went to the top of the band and “found multiple signals in both simplex and via repeaters." "Usually, I receive a repeater in New York City, KQ2H, one of the strongest signals I can get down here in Florida when 10 is open, but today there was another strong signal [of] 10 kHz above it,” he said.

Using a FLEX-6400 at 75 W and the C32XR beam at 108 feet that he maintains for the Tampa Amateur Radio Club, he heard an ID through the splatter from the KQ2H repeater. “It was HB9HD in Switzerland! I set up for split and reduced power to 75 W on the Flex and gave the repeater a kerchunk.” Romero was able to contact a Swiss ham, Rene, HB3XVR, on the repeater’s 70-centimeter link.

Then, on October 31, again around 1500z, Romero tried the repeater once more. “I found the repeater full quieting, even stronger than it was on October 23, and with no QRM from KQ2H, so it was clean and easy to copy!

For the heck of it, I called CQ several times on the repeater. I received no callers, but finally, I received a signal that was fading up and down. I called again and that signal stopped fading for a while, and I was able to work David, WA3LXD, over the HB9HD repeater. After a little while, his signal settled down, and David asked me what my QTH was, and I told him I was in Tampa. He laughed and
said we worked each other ‘the hard way,’ because he was in Ocala, about 100 miles to my north,” said Romero.

As Solar Cycle 25 continues to rise toward its peak, amateurs can expect to encounter more exciting propagation, especially on the 10- and 6-meter bands. In this case, the signals traveled roughly 9,800 miles round trip. Your mileage may vary. 

When 10 meters is open, amazing things can happen. Lu Romero, W4LT, knows that well. He said, “When 10 is open, I often venture up into the top of the band to see if there is any FM activity. I’ve always liked to use 10 FM, especially when conditions are marginal to observe the Faraday phase distortion on signals. Before FT8, 10 FM was always a good way to discover where the band was propagating to in addition to the beacons. If you hear FM (especially repeaters) operating, then the propagation is really good!”

At around 1500z on October 23, 2023, the band was open. Romero stated that he went to the top of the band and “found multiple signals in both simplex and via repeaters." "Usually, I receive a repeater in New York City, KQ2H, one of the strongest signals I can get down here in Florida when 10 is open, but today there was another strong signal [of] 10 kHz above it,” he said.

Using a FLEX-6400 at 75 W and the C32XR beam at 108 feet that he maintains for the Tampa Amateur Radio Club, he heard an ID through the splatter from the KQ2H repeater. “It was HB9HD in Switzerland! I set up for split and reduced power to 75 W on the Flex and gave the repeater a kerchunk.” Romero was able to contact a Swiss ham, Rene, HB3XVR, on the repeater’s 70-centimeter link.

Then, on October 31, again around 1500z, Romero tried the repeater once more. “I found the repeater full quieting, even stronger than it was on October 23, and with no QRM from KQ2H, so it was clean and easy to copy!

For the heck of it, I called CQ several times on the repeater. I received no callers, but finally, I received a signal that was fading up and down. I called again and that signal stopped fading for a while, and I was able to work David, WA3LXD, over the HB9HD repeater. After a little while, his signal settled down, and David asked me what my QTH was, and I told him I was in Tampa. He laughed and
said we worked each other ‘the hard way,’ because he was in Ocala, about 100 miles to my north,” said Romero.

As Solar Cycle 25 continues to rise toward its peak, amateurs can expect to encounter more exciting propagation, especially on the 10- and 6-meter bands. In this case, the signals traveled roughly 9,800 miles round trip. Your mileage may vary. 

No better way to get rid of mice...

ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® sought a waiver on behalf of the activators, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted it. The waiver allows amateur radio operators to participate in a special event commemorating the 82nd annual National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

The Battleship Iowa Amateur Radio Association (BIARA), with authority from the US Navy and Southwest Marine Corps Spectrum Office, will honor the sailors and ships previously homeported in San Pedro, California, who were attacked on December 7, 1941. There will be special crossband activations of NEPM, Battleship Iowa’s original call sign, on December 6, 7, 8, and 9, 2023.

Using the call sign NEPM, the club will transmit on assigned military frequencies and listen for calls from the amateur radio community on their adjacent bands. NEPM will transmit on 14.375, 18.170, and/or 21.856 MHz on J3E/USB and/or A1A/CW. The club operator will tell participating hams where BIARA will be listening, which will be 10 KHz below the top of each adjacent band when working J3E/USB, or 10 KHz above the bottom of each adjacent band when working A1A/CW. Amateur participants are reminded not to transmit on the NEPM military frequencies. Operations on all 4 days are expected to be from 0700 to 1600 PST (1500 to 2400 UTC).

The FCC stated the grant of the waiver meets the second prong of the waiver standard in section 1.925(b)(3)(ii) in that the event presents a unique opportunity for the amateur and military communities to practice communication skills under the guidance of military officials, which may be useful in the future and serves the public interest.

In addition to the skills gained by amateur operators participating in the test, National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day has historical significance. It emphasizes the importance of reliable communications and the need to be vigilant in national defense. 

As part of the celebrations for SKYWARN™ Recognition Day (SRD) on December 2, 2023, hams will be on the air as WX1AW from the ARRL® Radio Laboratory station, W1HQ. ARRL Director of Emergency Management Josh Johnston, KE5MHV, and other amateurs plan to be on the air for several hours Saturday morning and midday. 

The event honors all SKYWARN storm spotters and amateur radio operators for their contributions to the National Weather Service (NWS) during severe weather. Amateur radio operators also provide vital communication to the NWS and emergency management teams in other instances when normal communications fail.

"SKYWARN is a perfect example of an opportunity for hams to provide situational awareness for our communities during severe weather. We are happy to participate with our partners at the NWS and look forward to continuing the service provided by amateur radio operators around the country," said Johnston. 

For those interested in participating in the operating event, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website is updated with the SKYWARN registration form, mapping form, rules, and information.

SRD was developed in 1999 by the NWS and ARRL. On SRD amateur stations exchange contact information with as many NWS stations as possible on 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6 meters, plus the 2-meter and 70-centimeter bands. Contacts made via repeaters are also permitted. Non-amateur radio spotters can exchange information with NWS offices using social media. To learn how to become a trained NOAA storm spotter, visit Spotter Training (weather.gov).

To receive a QSL card from WX1AW, please send a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

W1AW
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111

Radio amateurs now have a new tool from ARRL  The National Association for Amateur Radio® to help answer questions about their stations. Neighbors of amateur radio operators are sometimes concerned about transmissions and radio frequency exposure from amateur stations. The ARRL RF Safety Committee, with their international counterparts at the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), the Irish Radio Transmitters Society (IRTS), and the Swedish Society of Radio Amateurs (SSA), has developed a new set of guidelines to help amateurs interact with and talk to their neighbors about RF exposure.

Chairman of the ARRL RF Safety Committee Greg Lapin, N9GL, said the new informational PDF found on the ARRL RF Exposure page, Helping Amateurs Interact with Neighbors Asking About Radio Transmissions, was developed after a year of discussions about RF safety.

“Neighbors may be alarmed by some of the misinformation about RF safety that is available from a variety of sources. By following the exposure regulations from the Federal Communications Commission, we can be confident that our families and neighbors are safe,” Lapin said.

Lapin added that RF exposure regulations are based on decades of trustworthy research. He also encouraged all amateur radio operators to perform exposure assessments for their stations to make sure they meet those regulations.